Electric gas-lighter



(No Model.)

' W. L. BROWN.

I ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTER. No. 513,300. Patented Jan. '23, 1894.

UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

WINSOR L. BROWN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,300, dated January23, 1894. 7 Application filed .Iune 22, 1893. $erial No. 478,501. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

l 3e it known that I, WINSOR L. BROWN, a OllZlZGll of the United States,residing in the clty and county of San Francisco, State of California,have invented an Improvement in Electric Gas-Lighters; and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame.

Myinvention relates to the class of electric gas llghters, in whichelectrical contact is made and broken between electrodes in the vicinityof the gas burner, whereby the electrlc spark produced will light thegas.

My invention consists in the novel cam movement for effecting a contactof the electrodes, and also in the novel construction and arrangement ofthe electrodes themselves which I shall hereinafter fully describe andspecifically point out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, effective, andeasilyoperated gas-lightlng device, the operation of which is dependentupon and is simultaneous with the operation of the ordinary gas cookkey, whereby no instruction whatever need be given in the manner of.lighting the gas, as is ordinarily necessary. in the use of electric gaslighting devices commonly employed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof my invention,--Figure 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a side View.Fig. 3 is an elevation of the cam E.

A is a gas pipe having a seat in which is fitted the usual valve Bhaving a key 0. D is a burner mounted upon the pipe.

Upon the stem of the valve or of its connected key is mounted andadapted to be rotated therewith a cam E. This has a chamber on its innerside, in which is pivoted at e the gravity switch tongue 6 which dividesthe chamber of the cam into two passages,

namely, an outer or upper one 6 which is eccentric to the circle ofmovement of the cam, and the lower one a which is concentric therewith.These two passages communicate at both ends of the switch tongue.

F F are two arms, the upper extremities of which form the electrodes.These arms are joined at their lower ends and are made of metalsufficiently springy to allow their upper ends to remain normallyseparated. They are mounted and are adapted to move up-' wardly througha slotted guide G mounted on the burner pipe. Above this guide is abracket 11 also secured upon the burner pipe, and having slots h in itthrough which the arms pass. These arms have on their outer edges,inclined planesfwhioh, by playingin the slots of the bracket H, causethe arms to be forced together as they rise, thereby effecting thecontact of their extremities, and allow them to return to their normallyseparated position as they descend. One of the arms, namely, the arm Fhas its extremity f separated from its body and united thereto by aninsulating piece f whereby the wire carried to this insulated extremitywill form the proper circuit, thus constituting the extremities of thearms the proper poles or electrodes. The lower ends of the arms F Fwhere they are joined together, is provided with an outwardly extendingpin or stud I which extends into and plays in the passages of the cam.

The operation of the device is as follows:- When the key is turned off,the pin or studI of the electrode arms lies at the front of the campassages at the point of the tongue, said point resting upon the lowerwall of the cam thereby opening only the upper passage thereof. Now,upon turning the key, to allow the gas to pass through the burner, theupper or eccentric passage of the cam traveling by the pin or stud I,raises the latter upon the switch tongue, and thereby lifts the arms FF, the inclined planes f of which, playing in the slots 71. of thebracket II, will cause said arms to be sprung together, so that by thetime the uppermost limit is reached, the extremities of said arms willcome into electrical contact. This is just before the key reaches itsfull open position. Now, by continuing the movement of the key, the backend of the upper or eccentric passage of the.

cam acting upon the pin or stud I, will positively draw the latter downagain which movement will return the electrode arms, the inclined planesof which being relieved of the slots of the bracket, will, at thebeginning of the downward movement, permit the extremities of said armsto be separated, whereupon the spark is produced and the gas ignited.Now, by turning the key back again, to close 0d the gas, the pin or studI will travel in the lowermost or concentric passage of the cam underthe switch tongue thereof, and raising said tongue until it passesbeyond and clear of the point thereof to its initial position, andduring this movement the lower passage of the cam being concentric, theelectrode arms F F are not moved, but remain stationary. The point ofthe switch tongue drops down to its original position back of the pin orstud I, which is thereby in proper position to travel again in theuppermost or eccentric passage of thecam. Thus, by the single movementof the keyin turning on the gas, the latter is ignited.

The construction of the cam is simple, and the manner of elfe'cting andbreaking the contact of the electrodes is simple in construction andpositive in operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric gas lighter, and in combination with a movableelectrode, a rotatable cam having eccentric and concentric passagescommunicating at their ends and adapted to engage the movable electrodeto move it when the cam is turned in one direction, and allow it toremain stationary when it is turned in the other direction,substantially as herein described.

2. In an electric gas lighter and in combination with the movableelectrode, a rotatable cam having an eccentric and a concentric passagecommunicating at each end and separated by a swinging switch tongue, anda pin or stud on the movable electrode adapted to travel in theeccentric passage of the cam when it 1's moved in one direction, and toreturn in the concentric passage thereof when it is moved in the otherdirection, substantially as herein described.

3. In an electric gas lighter and in combination with the movableelectrode and the key of the gas cook, a cam connected with said keyandadapted to be rotated therewith, said cam having an eccentric and aconcentric passage communicating at each end, and a pin or stud on themovable electrode adapted to travel in the eccentric passage of the camwhen it is moved in one direction, and to return in the concentricpassage of the cam when moved in the other direction, substantially asherein described.

4. In an electric gas lighter and in combination with the movableelectrode and the key of the gas cook, a cam connected with said key andadapted to be rotated therewith, said cam having an eccentric and aconcentric passage communicating at each end, a pin or stud on themovable electrode adapted to travel in the eccentric passage of the camwhen it is moved in one direction, and to return in the concentricpassage of the cam when moved in the other direction, and a swingingswitch tongue in the cam dividing its passages and by which the pin orstud of the movable electrode is alternately directed in said passages,substantially as herein described.

5. In an electric gas lighter, the vertically movable spring arms, theextremities of which form the electrodes, said arms having the inclinedplanes on their edges, and suitable guides against which said planesoperate to force the extremities of the arms together when moved in onedirection, and to allow them to become separated when moved in the otherdirection, substantially as herein described.

6. In an electric gas lighter, the vertically movable springarins, theextremitiesof which form the electrodes, saidarms having the inclinedplanes on their edges, and suitable guides against which said planesoperate to force the extremities of the arms together when moved in onedirection, and to allow them to become separated when moved in the otherdirection, one of said arms having an insulated point for its extremity,substantially as herein described.

7. An electric gas lighter,consisting of the cam connected and rotatablewith the key of the gas cook, said cam having the eccentric and theconcentric passage communicating at each end and separated by theswihging switch tongue, the spring arms E F, the extremities of whichform the electrodes, said spring arms having the inclined planesoperating in guides to effect the contact and separation of theirextremities, and the pin or stud on the lower end of said arms travelingin the passages of the cam, substantially as herein described. I

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

l/VINSOR L. BROWN.

Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, J. A. BAYLESS.

